Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott’s potential holdout protecting himself
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott may be preparing to hold out of 2019 training camp, which is clearly a move to try and protect his future.
Much of the conversation about the Dallas Cowboys this offseason has been about securing their stars to long-term deals. It began with locking up DeMarcus Lawrence, which has then shifted the conversation to Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, who have not yet signed new deals with America’s Team. Overlooked in this conversation, however, is a looming deal for running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Apparently, Elliott has taken notice of this and isn’t all too happy about that. In fact, Pro Football Talk reported on Monday that the star running back could potentially hold out of Cowboys training camp without a new contract. Yahoo’s Charles Robinson added more to that on Monday, saying that if the team isn’t “proactive” towards working on a new deal and progress isn’t made, things “could go sideways fast.”
The key thing to note right off the bat is that the situation isn’t bad right now. From the outside looking in, it simply appears that Elliott, whose contract ends after the 2020 season, wants to have his future taken care of as well and to not get lost in the shuffle amidst talks with Prescott and Cooper.
What seemingly complicates things is the threat of holding out of training camp, obviously. That’s clearly a leverage move on the part of Elliott to try and get talks started towards a new contract. And while a holdout certainly would put the Cowboys in a tough position, it’s not difficult to see Elliott’s perspective.
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It’s fair to say that Elliott is the workhorse for this Cowboys offense. In three seasons and 40 games played, he has 868 carries for 4,048 yards and 28 touchdowns along with 135 receptions, 1,199 yards and six additional scores. That’s 1,003 touches in 40 games, which shows just how pivotal of a role he plays.
In the modern NFL, though, the running back position has been devalued in terms of an individual player’s value. For the most part, even with top-tier players like Elliott, running backs are viewed as replaceable, plug-and-play commodities. The talent may drop off a bit but it’s a position that is no longer considered premium in the modern game.
These are the reasons why people scoffed at the contract the New York Jets gave Le’Veon Bell or mocked the New York Giants for taking Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick in 2018. Yes, these are great players. However, they don’t fit the mold of modern NFL team building.
Moreover, the Cowboys are an organization with a recent example of riding a running back into the ground and then cutting bait. In the 2014 season, Dallas rushed DeMarco Murray 392 times (with 449 total touches). While Murray was unbelievable successful (1,845 rushing yards, 13 rushing scores), they got all the mileage they could out of him and then moved on.
Given the massive role that Elliott plays in the Dallas offense, he clearly recognizes the importance of using his leverage while he has it. He knows he’s going to be used heavily and get plenty more miles on his tires. What he wants to avoid by working on a deal now is then hitting the open market after 2020 with teams wondering how much juice he has left.
As of right now, it’s clear the situation with Zeke is fluid. He may not hold out of training camp if the Cowboys react and start working on a deal. Then again, maybe the team still doesn’t prioritize the new contract right now and the running back does miss camp.
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What can’t be debated, though, is that the Cowboys running back is clearly looking to protect his future and best interests. It’s not about being greedy and wanting a massive payday but rather avoiding the undesired path of a workhorse back in the modern NFL. For that, it’s hard to fault him, even if the team is left in a tough spot.